The team

History lesson

This is Australia's third World Cup, the second in succession. If 1974 was a novelty, 2006 proved they took it seriously. Among bitter locals, the pain of losing to 10-man Italy in the round of 16 still rankles.

Tactics board

Australia will be as organised and disciplined as any team. It might be hard to replicate the qualifying form, but they will still be tough to break down. The two holding midfielders in a 4-2-3-1 are central to this. Harry Kewell will play as a lone striker if fit – otherwise the bearded beanpole Josh Kennedy will – but their best goal threat will come from those behind him – Tim Cahill, Mark Bresciano and Brett Emerton.

Grudge match

Australians still cannot quite forgive Germany for a whole list of things, most notably the 3-0 loss at the 1974 World Cup. Revenge would be a dish best served 36 years too late. If they somehow get out of their group and England manage to do so from theirs, it could lead to a second-round Ashes showdown. Upton Park part 2, anyone?

Also known as

In keeping with undoubtedly the crappiest template in world sporting nicknames, in which Australian sporting teams must be known as the Somethingroos, they are the Socceroos. You'd be laughed out of town for suggesting it today, but it seems to have stuck.

The players

Vuvuzela superstar

Half Samoan Tim Cahill went on to earn fame in England and then declare he wanted to play for Ireland in the 2002 World Cup. Net result? Australian hero.

There's always Bolton

Tommy Oar has been tagged as the next Harry Kewell although whether that's a good thing remains to be seen. But he is the type of player that could help revive Newcastle United. Carl Valeri, known as Mini-Vinnie, his career having followed that of Vinnie Grella into Serie B obscurity, would be hoping he has more luck with injury than his fellow Italian-Aussie.

Laager lout

Ridiculous for an Australian sporting team, but there really isn't one. Thank Fosters, then, for Craig Moore – 10 years at Rangers and who still loves a post-match frothy.

The coach

Body double

Pim Verbeek could be one of those mid-life-crisis backpackers hanging around Thailand. His refusal to take out the hair clippers is becoming a national joke.

Big game hunter

Guus Hiddink's right-hand man during South Korea's outstanding run at the 2002 World Cup. Obsessed with playing only the one striker; he coaches to save matches rather than win them.

Loved or loathed

Admired for getting them there, but his arrogance and defensive teams haven't gone down well. Consistently putting down the local league doesn't help either.

The country

Commentators' kit

The third nation to qualify, they would have been second behind the hosts South Africa but Japan's match kicked off two hours earlier. Also Dario Vidosic, who might actually be all right one day, wore No101 on his shirt in an Asian Cup qualifier against Kuwait. Why? Nobody knows.

They gave the world

The Hill's Hoist clothes line. Google it. Invented in Adelaide in 1945, the biggest thing to happen in clothes drying in a hundred years.

National monument

It'd have to be Aussie Rules footy, at least in Melbourne. Elsewhere it's surfboards, cold beer and the knowledge that if there's an element of competitiveness involved, Australians will expect one of their countrymen to be leading the way.

Qualifying

Did not lose a game in the final stages of qualification, made a tad easier by switching to Asia from Oceania. Instead of having to beat South Americans they took on Japan, Bahrain, Uzbekistan and Oman.

The Triesman tapes ... what he didn't say

"Permanently squinting, relentless word shorteners and upspeakers who bang on about how great the place is while declining to live there."

Statistics

World Cup record: 2 finals

P7 W1 D2 L4 F5 A11

Highest finish: Round of 16 in 2006

14: Australian-born players who have opted to play for other nations, including England's Tony Dorigo

The verdict

A second consecutive finals appearance may not bring improvement. Mark Viduka has retired and Harry Kewell has been hampered by injury. It will be hard to match 2006 when they reached the knockout phase. Eleven members of the provisional squad, including Mark Schwarzer and two other goalkeepers, are English-based.